Due to the ignorance, stupidity or both, Mozilla has decided to abandon the 64 bit version of Firefox for Windows and focus on 32 it builds. Now, it looks like they have changed their tune as Win64 nightly channel will not be completely abandoned.

On a downside, since win64 and win32 builds are not separated, Mozilla has decided to sit back and do nothing (as in “disable crash reports for the x86-64 builds”) instead of solving the underlying issue, at least for now.
Those are not the only changes though, this is what happens next, according to Mozilla’s post:

– Migrate all existing users of win64 nightly channel builds to the win32 nightly channel builds via automatic update.
– Continue to build win64 Nightly builds and updates on the nightly channel. Users who need the 64-bit builds will have to download it after the migration point (date TBD).
– Change the default first-run and update page for win64 builds to explain to users that they are not supported.
– Enable click-to-play plugins by default in the win64 builds.
– Discontinue the win64 tests and on-checkin builds to reduce release engineering load. By default, do not generate win64 builds on try.
– win64 builds will be considered a tier 3 build configuration.

On a positive note, they will test all future Win32 Firefox builds on the 64 bit version of Windows 8. Good luck to them, I guess.

Vygantas is a former web designer whose projects are used by companies such as AMD, NVIDIA and departed Westood Studios. Being passionate about software, Vygantas began his journalism career back in 2007 when he founded FavBrowser.com. Having said that, he is also an adrenaline junkie who enjoys good books, fitness activities and Forex trading.